The Ondo State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct a thorough investigation into the alleged inflated overhead costs in the 2025 state budget, describing the document as a “budget of looting.”
In a statement issued by PDP spokesperson Kennedy Peretei, the party expressed concern over the allocation of a massive N11.5 billion security vote to the Ministry of Finance.
The PDP questioned the rationale behind this allocation, pointing out that it is incomprehensible for a security vote to be designated to a ministry rather than the office of the governor, which traditionally receives the security vote.
Peretei further criticized the budget for its extravagant allocations, such as N200 million for the maintenance of vehicles for lawmakers and N280 million for the Speaker of the Ondo State Assembly’s phone expenses.
Meanwhile, vital sectors like education and healthcare were not sufficiently funded, receiving only N77.024 billion and N46.016 billion, respectively.
The PDP condemned these allocations, alleging that they were designed to enrich public officials at the expense of the people, while the state’s crucial sectors languish.
The party argued that such financial mismanagement undermines any potential progress and development in Ondo State.
“The 2025 Appropriation Act, signed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has nothing to do with recovery but everything to do with looting the state treasury. The allocations are brazen, and it’s clear that the funds are being siphoned for personal gain,” the statement read.
The PDP called on the EFCC to conduct a thorough investigation into these alleged misappropriations, stating that the people’s trust had been violated by officials entrusted with public funds.
It emphasized that no state can progress when its leaders engage in such reckless financial practices.
